A New Dawn
by King of Beasts
Summary: She won the third Bullet of Bullets, foiled Death Gun's schemes and made peace with her past. The question now is this: what's next for Shino Asada? Join her as she traverses the worlds of GGO and ALO, meeting friends old and new as well as discovering new adventures in the process! (Sinon-centric, post Phantom Bullet arc)
1. Chapter 1: A New Challenge

Disclaimer: I do not own SAO or it's characters. The only things I own are the premise and some OCs that will appear along the way.

King of Beasts Productions Presents:

**A New Dawn: A Sword Art Online Fanfiction**

**Chapter 1: A New Challenge**

_January 15, 2026. SBC Blocken, Gun Gale Online._

As per usual, the city that served as the main hub for players in the VRMMORPG known as Gun Gale Online was bustling with energy; players new and old were crowding the clouded streets, some crouching in the plaza peddling accounts and the like while others were busy getting from point A to point B.

Shino Asada, known best as Sinon in this game, was among the latter as her destination was the shooting range to get some practice done. However, her pace was more casual than that of the others. She was not clad in her battle fatigues today, and her infamous anti-materiel rifle was nowhere to be seen. All in all, she was no hurry to get into the battlefield today, if at all.

Ever since that fateful Bullet of Bullets tourney, life had been quiet for the ace sniper. Yes, she still cringed slightly whenever she sees a gun IRL, but it was not as bad as it was back then. Now that she had been able to make peace with herself, she did not feel the urge to prove herself as the strongest any more. Her inner demons have been silenced, all thanks to what Kirito and his friends had done for her.

That didn't mean that she was going to stop playing GGO anytime soon; she invested a lot on the game. She has a title to defend after all!

"But nothing's been happening so far." Sinon sighed aloud. It was true: while she still went on missions with Dyne's squadron, it had grown a little mundane. With the next BoB quite far away, what she needed was a fresh experience, something that will get the blood pumping once more.

As Sinon entered the shooting gallery, she let out a deep sigh before quietly murmuring to herself her epiphany:

"I need a new challenge."

* * *

As expected, Sinon wasn't getting much out of doing this either. She fired round after round with a new gun she bought from the shop. Ironically, it was a Type 54 Black Star, the very same model she used that fateful day.

Once she was done with the firing range, she put the weapon down on the table. The moment she let go, she found that the hand that held was trembling. She looked around and, to her relief, found that she was the only one in the room at the moment.

"So..." she mused ruefully "I suppose I'm not completely over it yet." As she gazed upon the gun, her mind trailed back to the specter of death she and Kirito had fought in the tournament. As much as she hated that phantom, especially since he used THAT gun, she hated the one behind the mask even more. After all, it's one of the reasons why her best friend was driven to madness.

"Shinkawa-kun..." she smiled sadly at the thought of her friend. Yes, even after all that, she considered him a good friend and was looking forward to the day she could visit him. She wanted to tell him everything she had learned from that experience and, maybe, he would listen.

For now, however, she had to wait. With a sigh, she stored the pistol in her inventory and was about to head out when...

"UWAH!"

To say that the shrill shriek surprised Sinon would be like saying that Suguha was too fond of her 'Oniichan'. At any rate, she quickly realized that she wasn't as alone as she thought. She immediately rushed to the far end of the room, the source of the noise, to investigate.

"Owowow..."

What she found was the most amusing sight she had seen in a long time: A girl few inches shorter than her was sitting on the floor with a sore bum. Her hair had a bubblegum pink tint and was tied in pig-tails. Her face was quite round with big, blue eyes and a button nose to match. Her attire brought back memories for Sinon, as it was the standard white coat and black pants all the newcomers wear, and it did well to hug her robust figure.

As Sinon examined the girl further, she saw the reason for her scream: in her hands was a Colt Anaconda, a handgun that uses .44 magnum rounds. While the kick of the gun wasn't as potent as the other Colt models, it was enough to knock a tiny girl like the one in front of her off her feet.

"Uhm..." Sinon chose this time to speak, a little concerned for the girl "Are you alright there?"

"Huh?" The novice perked up to see the other girl, her already wide eyes getting even wider, and raised a hand to point a finger at her "Y-Y-Y-You're..."

"Eh?" The sniper raised her brow with obvious confusion on her face.

"Y-You're S-S-Sinon-san, right?" The pink-haired girl said with a trembling, squeaky voice "The one they call 'The Goddess of the Underworld? Ace sniper and Co-Winner of the 3rd Bullet of Bullets? That Sinon-san?!"

"Uhm...Yes?"

"UWAAAAH!" Imagine Sinon's shock when the girl erupted with unbridled fan-girlism "I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M MEETING** THE** 'HECATE' IN THE FLESH!" The pinkette's grin was so wide, it would probably be the length of Sinon's Hecate "IT'S...IT'S...IT'S A DREAM COME TRUE! SOMEBODY PINCH ME!"

"...Thanks, I guess?" She didn't know what to make of this; while it was true that she's had to deal with rabid fan-boys, rabid fan-GIRLS are a new thing for her.

"Oh, where are my manners?!" the other girl bolted to her feet and gave a quick bow "My name's Momo! I just joined this game a two months ago!"

"Two months ago?" The sniper raised a brow at this "But why are you still wearing your starter outfit?"

"Oh, you mean this?" Momo gestured to her attire before laughing sheepishly "I didn't play that often until a month ago you see. I was having a hard time fighting the mobs and kept dying to them all the time."

"No one helped you?" Sinon dared to ask, getting her answer when Momo shook her head.

"There were those squadrons that recruited me, but all they wanted was a 'mascot'." The pinkette smiled sadly "I never did any actual fighting, they never let me. I felt like I was just a burden, y'know?"

"I see..." Sinon listened to her story with a tinge of regret in her heart. Part of her thought that if she hadn't been dwelling on her self-doubts, she would've been able to assist the girl in some way "I'm sorry. Had I known-"

"You didn't, but that's okay!" Momo countered with a huge grin "After all, you inspired me to keep trying just as I was about to quit!"

"I did?" The sniper said in a tone that showed amazement.

"Yup!" The girl said with an earnest smile that the bluenette found refreshing "I was watching the Third Bullet of Bullets. I figured that if I was gonna quit, I might as well do it after watching the tournament. For dramatic flair, y'know?"

"...Okay." Sinon felt herself sweatdrop at that statement "But what does it have to do with everything?"

"It has EVERYTHING to do with everything, Sinon-san!" Momo burst out passionately "I was watching you and Kirito-san fight in the tournament. As I watched, I thought about how strong you were, and-"

"You thought I was strong?" Sinon interrupted the pinkette.

"Yup, and I'm not talking about stats, skill or weapons." Momo giggled "I'm talking about the kind of strength one has against adversity; the kind that shows that even if everything else is against you, you'll still keep fighting. I...I wanted that kind of strength. I still do."

"That's why..." Momo concluded with a wide grin "That why I didn't quit GGO. I wanna become strong like my hero, Sinon-san!"

_"Hero, huh?"_ Despite herself, Sinon was smiling; she wasn't exactly what many would call heroic (As much as she hated to admit it, that title belonged to Kirito), but for someone to think that of her, even when even she didn't think so...it was uplifting, to say the least.

"Momo."

"Yes, Sinon-san?"

"That gun you're using..." The sniper said as she glanced at the Colt Anaconda "Mind if I borrow it?"

"Uhm, sure!"

Momo enthusiastically handed Sinon the weapon, who took aim at the targets with practiced grace. As the novice watched intently, she notice that the way she held the revolver with two hands showed her experience as a marksman within GGO.

After taking a deep breath, Sinon fired and found her arms jerking slightly from the recoil.

"Wow, this gun's got a lot of power." The bluenette said with a smile "If it hit another player in the limbs, I don't doubt that he'll lost that limb for a few hours.

"Cool!"

"However, I don't think you have the STR requirements to use that properly yet."

"Really?!" the pinkette said in amazement, her expression matching that of a surprised puppy.

"Yeah. Revolvers are known for their stopping power and the recoil that comes with it, if the way it knocked off your feet is any indication. Even my arms are still shaking." Sinon explained with a giggle "You'll probably be better off with something else for now. Here."

Momo saw a trade window suddenly pop up in front of her. She peered into it and saw a single item inside.

"Type 54 Black Star?" she asked with a puzzled expression.

"It's not as powerful as your Colt Anaconda, but it should be a suitable replacement until you build up the STR needed to keep yourself on your feet. Also,"

Another window popped up in front of Momo, and this time it was a friend request. From Sinon.

"If you need my help for anything, message me and I'll come right away, alright?" The BoB champion said with a warm smile.

"S-sure..." Momo said with a shaky voice, unable to believe that her idol was doing this "But why go so far for me, Sinon-san? I'm just a novice..."

"You are, but you have more heart than most players I know." The sniper said with a sincerity that matched the pinkette "You'll go far in this world, Momo. I know you'll put that gun I gave you to good use, so don't give up, alright?"

"S-Sinon-san..." Momo was ready to break down in tears, and for good reason: her idol, the reason she decided to stay in GGO, was offering her support. So moved by the bluenette's actions, she raised her arm in a salute "Y-Yes, ma'am!" she said in a choked voice "I promise you, I won't let you down!"

As she watched Momo run out of the shooting gallery with her new Type 54, Sinon felt that she made the right choice.

_"May the ghost of my past do some good in her hands."_ Sinon smiled before making her way out herself, feeling no regret over helping a novice with big dreams.

For one thing, at least she can say for certainty that she helped a fellow girl this time.

**Chapter 1 End**

* * *

_A/N: Ladies and Gentlemen, I am the King of Beasts and welcome to the first chapter of A New Dawn, a fanfic that will focus on everyone's favorite GGO sniper, Shino Asada a.k.a Sinon!_

_Sinon: So I'm really getting a fic now, huh?_

_Indeed you are, Sinonon! We'll also be seeing more of Momo and other denizens of GGO as well as ALO, old and new, so keep your eyes peeled for them!_

_Momo: Hooray! More me!_

_Well, I guess that wraps things up for now. Kindly leave a review because reviews are love. See ya next time, readers!_

_Sinon and Momo: Next time on A New Dawn: Heartseeker!_


	2. Chapter 2: Heartseeker

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

King of Beasts Productions Present:

**A New Dawn: A Sword Art Online Fanfiction**

**Chapter 2: Heartseeker**

"That's it. Take slow, steady breaths. Keep your aim steady."

It took her a good two months, but Sinon felt that she was making progress with her new protege. It felt like only yesterday when she gave her the Type 54 Black Star. It took a while to try and find a certain build for her, but thanks to young Momo's preference for guns that pack a lot of power, they were able to settle for a STR focused build. While their approaches for combat were different, Sinon's Hecate required STR as well, so she knew what equipment would come in handy for her new charge.

The result stood before the sniper now: the pinkette was clad in heavy kevlar armor, perfect for protection from any shot except high caliber bullets, black shorts and leather boots. Through grinding, Momo should have built enough STR to use the Colt Anaconda with out being taken off her feet.

At least, that was Sinon's hope.

"Remember everything I taught you." The bluenette watched, her arms crossed, as Momo took aim at one of the mobs, a mutated wolf whose species is known as [Bio Wulf], in their current zone as practice.

"R-Right!" Momo gulped loudly. It was quite easy to see that she was nervous; her arms were obviously shaking.

"Don't worry. You've improved a lot over the last two months." Sinon reassured her with a smile. "You'll nail this for sure."

At that moment, the lone [Bio Wulf] took notice of the pair and, true to it's programmed script, triggered an encounter flag and bounded at them with a snarl.

"Now! Take the shot!"

BANG!

The [Bio Wulf] imploded from the force of the shot upon being nailed in the head, shattering into the familiar data particles when something dies. The bluenette then turned to where Momo stood; the pinkette was breathing deeply and trembling, the fact that she remained standing spoke of the progress she made.

"Not bad." Sinon smiled, walking over to her and patting her on the head. "Told you could do it."

"Wow..." The young girl murmured to herself, letting out a relieved sigh once the adrenaline wore off. "That was amazing."

"You've more than earned your Colt back." Sinon giggled as the congratulatory window popped up for Momo. "Next time, we'll have you try out a real weapon. For now, let's call it a day. I have to meet some friends in another game."

"O-Okay." Momo nodded with a smile as they began the walk back to town. "So, your friends from another game...Kirito-san's one of them right?"

"Yes. What of it?"

"What's she like?" If Sinon was having a drink, she would have snorted it out in laughter. The fact that Momo blinked in adorable confusion certainly didn't help either. Considering that majority of GGO's population didn't know that Kirito was a guy, this was understandable.

"Wh-what's so funny, Sinon-san?" The pinkette asked with obvious bewilderment.

"It's nothing, it's nothing!" The bluenette denied, but couldn't stop her giggling.

"Eh...that doesn't sound like nothing." Momo raised her eyebrow with a frown. "It's as if I said something stupid..."

"Don't worry, that's not it." Sinon's mirth died down, but she couldn't resist but let out one last chuckle. "I'll tell you someday, I promise."

* * *

**In ALO...**

"...I fail to see why that's funny."

The usual gang sat around the familiar wooden floor of the cabin at Aincrad Castle's 25th Floor. The one who spoke among the company was Kirito, famed hero of Aincrad and Co-Champion of GGO's Bullet of Bullets Tournament. They also think he's a girl, apparently.

"Now now, Kirito-kun. No need to make a fuss." The blue-haired Undine that was Asuna giggled as she set down a tray of tea and cookies for the group, who were having a blast at Sinon's latest anecdote.

"Yeah! I think it's flattering that you have grown men drooling over how 'kawaii' you are." The pink-haired Gnome that was Lisbeth giggled as she took a cup. "Or the fact that they all wanna make you their 'waifu'."

"Don't remind me." The poor Spriggan groaned at that; that one time Klein went to GGO and ended up joining such a club was comedy gold, sure, but it did not settle the Black Swordsman at the least.

"It seems Oniichan has fans every where he goes, both male and female." The blonde Sylph Leafa chose to add more fuel to the fire.

"Anyway," The aforementioned Salamander decided to change the subject out of pity for his friend. "What's news to me is that you've taken in a cute little apprentice, Sinon-san."

"Eh?" Sinon, who plays a Cait Sith Archer in this game, perked her feline ears at what he said. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, you seem to be the kind of person who keeps to herself if she can." Silica, the youngest of the group and a fellow Cait Sith, said while her pet dragon Pica nestled itself on her head.

"More like you don't seem like the type to take in a student." Kirito said with his head nodding and arms crossed.

"Hey, I mentored you when you were a noob at GGO, remember?" Sinon raised a brow at his answer.

"Well, that is true..."

"I think that it's a good thing." Asuna interjected with a smile. "You didn't have many friends in GGO, huh?"

Sinon paused to think what she said over. Who did she consider a friend in GGO? There was her squadron, but other than going on missions together, they weren't that close. Then there was Shinkawa, but that didn't end well.

"I didn't..." The blue haired Cait Sith admitted somberly. However, she found the means to smile when she said her next words. "For a long time, I carried my burdens on my own. I didn't want anyone to pity me because of my past, you know? That all changed when I met you guys."

She turned to Kirito, who nodded and smiled in return, before turning to the rest of her friends. "You guys showed me that it was okay to bare myself before the people who are dear to me. That they will accept you no matter your past. For that I'll always be grateful. Why I took her in...maybe it's because I want something like that for myself in GGO, you know? It's as they say, 'it's lonely at the top'."

"As Asuna said, it's a good thing." Lisbeth nodded in agreement. "Makes me wanna meet her now."

"You might get the chance." Sinon smiled knowingly before looking at the time. "Speaking of which, I gotta go."

"It's time already?" Asuna blinked in surprise as the Cait Sith sniper got to her feet.

"I kind of wonder why she wants to hang out with Sinon of all people." Klein sighed before turning to the blue-haired Undine. "You sure you're fine with being snubbed?"

"It's fine." Asuna shook her head with a warm smile. "I think it's a good opportunity for them to bond."

"At any rate, be sure to tell us how it goes." Kirito said as the company waved their goodbye to Sinon.

"I'll be sure to." Sinon in her turn gave them a wave of her own as she head out the door. "I'll see you guys later."

* * *

"Heeeeeey! Sinon!"

"Yo." Sinon flew as fast as she could towards the base of the big tree at the 24th floor. The reason, you ask? A peppy, purple-haired Imp Swordswoman was waiting at the base waving exuberantly. Do not underestimate her though, as she is currently one of the best players in ALO to date.

"So, why do you want to see me today, Yuuki?" The Cait Sith asked the girl once she landed. "It's not like you and I hang out all the time."

"Well...How should I put this?" The girl known as the "Absolute Sword" placed a hand on her chin in thought before perking up. With exaggerated motion, she pointed at the Cait Sith with a beaming grin. "I challenge you to a duel!"

"Huh? Me?" Sinon pointed at herself while wearing a shocked expression.

"Yup!" Yuuki replied. "I've heard stories about you, Sinon-san. Asuna always mentioned that you're always on point with the bow."

"So you want to see if you can outrun my shots?" Sinon dared to ask.

"Well, there's that..." Yuuki explained, trailing off before simply continuing with that same grin. "I'm kinda sad that I don't get to spend much time with you, especially since you're a friend of Asuna's. So...I'm hoping this will be the first of many times we hang out, alright?"

Sinon found herself touched by her sincerity. As such, the Cait Sith Archer couldn't help but smile.

"Alright." She said as she brought out her unnamed bow, the one Lisbeth made for her. "You're on!"

"Yes!" Yuuki fistpumped in triumph before sending the duel invite. "The rules are as follows: We each get one chance to attack. Whoever manages to land a hit first wins. You can use any type of arrow you want."

"A quick draw, then." Sinon answered her smile with a confident one of her own. "Fine by me!"

With the press of the button, the request was accepted and the duel was about to begin. Each contestant took a step back, about twenty meters to be precise, as they prepared themselves to attack as the clock ticked down.

Unlike a normal duel, this was going to end quickly, so each only had one shot to win.

_"If she's anything like Kirito, then she'll to close in as soon as she can."_ Sinon sighed as she notched an arrow on the string. "The kind of arrow I use decides this duel. If that's the case...I know just the one."

With a smile, The Cait Sith Archer pulled the string back as the clock winded down to ten. Sensing her determination, Yuuki couldn't help but grin back. At five seconds, her sword was at ready. 3..2..1..

The duel begins. Much like Sinon predicted, her opponent was unbelievable swift. She was closing the distance rather quickly, yet the bluenette kept her aim.

_"Steady..."_ As a sniper, "One shot, one kill" was her motto. Now, more than ever, she needed to hold true to that mantra.

_"Steady..."_ Yuuki was already more than half way, her sword already gleaming in the sunlight.

"Now!" Sinon finally let the arrow fly, the aforementioned object glowing red as it transmogrified into a several fireballs that covered the area.

_"If I used a normal shot, she would've easily dodged it."_ The Cait Sith observed as fire literally rained down on her opponent._ "With a scattershot type attack, one of them will be bound to hit!"_

That confidence quickly ended when she saw that Yuuki was bobbing and weaving between each salvo gracefully. While she looked like she was having a difficult time evading, she managed to time her dodges perfectly with minimal singes to her clothes.

_"Of course!"_ Sinon immediately realized her mistake as "The Absolute Sword" managed to zero in on her. _"Her reaction time! It's even more absurd than Kirito's! It'd make sense that she'd be able to evade them all!"_

It was too late to do anything at this point. One slash was all it took for Sinon to be taken off her feet, ending the duel in Yuuki's favor.

"Wow..." Yuuki let out a huge sigh of relief. "I have to admit, you gave me a hard time with that kind of shot! I guess you aren't GGO's champion for nothing!"

"Co-champion. It was a tie between me and Kirito, something I'm going to correct." Sinon giggled as she corrected the Imp. She sat up from the grass, only to find Yuuki extending a hand to help her up.

"That was a good match though. I'd love to do this again with you some time!" Yuuki commended her with her trademark smile.

"Likewise." Sinon couldn't help but smile while she took that hand and helped her up.

"By the way, does your bow have a name?"

"It was custom made by Lisbeth, so I'll have to check..." Sinon did an inventory check "Hmm...it's called 'Heartseeker.'"

"It suits you." Yuuki clapped her new friend with a grin. "Anyway, let's go meet up with Asuna and the rest, I'm sure they're wonder what we were up to."

"Right." Sinon smiled as they went into flight mode and headed back for the cabin. "Hey, the 4th BoB is coming up soon. Would you like to come and watch?"

"Sure thing!"

**End Chapter 2**

* * *

_A/N: Sorry this one took so long. Lack of inspiration, coupled with other fanfics and real life concerns, kept me from continuing this. Nevertheless, I'm back in action!_

_Sinon: And let's hope it stays that way._

_Anyhow, I really don't have much to say. That reference to Klein's adventure was inspired by "GLF of GGO" by AKAAkira. If you haven't read it, I recommend you do. It's by far the funniest SAO fic I've read._

_Also, be sure to leave a review after reading! I'd love to hear your thoughts about this! With that, I'm the King of Beasts, and I'll see you next chapter!_

_Next time on A New Dawn: Skirmish!_


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